Azure Spring EXCLUSIVE: Kang Sangjun reveals first impression of Red Velvet’s Yeri, shares what he’d change about haenam life

Seo An Na (Kim Yerim) used to be an athlete until an injury put her out of competition and any possible career options in the same direction. Yoon Deok Hyun (Kang Sangjun) is a reserved man running away from his past. Two people with no connection to each other find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to moving forward in life.

Seo An Na returns to her hometown of Jeju Island after being fired from her part-time job as a swimming instructor. She comes across Yoon Deok Hyun, who shows her that her life is not over just because of one incident and that she has multiple options to keep moving ahead. She then practices to turn into a haenyeo (female diver) who takes to collecting seafood for survival. Together, they tackle the problems that come their way, while finding comfort in each other. 

Kang Sangjun Interview for Azure Spring

Above-mentioned is the storyline for the coming-of-age television series, Azure Spring, based on the webtoon of the same name. It focuses on displaying the charm of living a life away from your initial plans and finding the good in today. Ahead of the K-drama’s release on May 11, we had the opportunity to exclusively hear from the lead star of the show, actor Kang Sangjun, who turns into a man with a deep attachment to his past and is unable to let go until he comes across a woman named An Na, whom he decides to help, and gets healed himself. 

For this role, did you have the chance to speak to any real-life haenyeos/haenams and learn what mannerisms or rules they follow with their work?
Kang Sangjun: Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet them in person. However, I made an effort to learn as much as I could about their lives, like their challenges, habits, and culture, by watching documentaries featuring haenyeos every day.

Why did you accept this drama out of all the scripts you usually get?

Kang Sangjun: When choosing a project, the most important things I look at are whether the story is genuinely engaging and whether that sense of entertainment is meaningfully connected to what the piece is trying to say. I also consider whether I can avoid repeating a similar character or performance—and this drama really aligned well with those criteria.

What’s your biggest lesson from this role, and what new sides of yourself can fans expect?

Kang Sangjun: What left the strongest impression on me was learning freediving for the role. To hold your breath underwater for a long time, you have to stay completely calm—and I found it fascinating that you can maintain that sense of calm even while feeling afraid.

Did you refer to any other reference shows or documentaries while preparing for this drama?

Kang Sangjun: Yes, I constantly had documentaries playing in the background, especially from Korea’s public broadcasters KBS and EBS, as well as National Geographic. I would keep them on almost like background music, listening to the sounds of their conversations, the ocean, and the rhythm of their diving.

What was your first reaction while working with Yeri on the show?

Kang Sangjun: I was really grateful for how warmly she greeted me on the day of our first script reading and how easily she made me feel at ease. Even on set, while filming tough and challenging scenes, she never lost her smile—and seeing that gave me a lot of positive energy as well. 

If you were to live as a haenam in real life, what is one thing you would change about this role?

Kang Sangjun: I think it would probably be the house. I don’t think I could give up all the modern conveniences and appliances we have today (haha).

Azure Spring is currently being broadcast on MBN+ with weekly episodes available to stream on Kocowa and Channel K. 

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